A Collaborative Approach to Empowering People and Enhancing Organizational Culture at Jindal Steel and Power
About The Company
Jindal Steel and Power (JSP) is an Indian industrial powerhouse with a dominant presence in the steel, mining, and infrastructure sectors.
- Employee Strength 11,000+ India – based Employees
- Industry Manufacturing & Production
- Indian HQ Delhi
Jindal Steel and Power: A Legacy of Strength, A Culture of Excellence
In the world of industrial giants, Jindal Steel and Power (JSP) has carved out a name for itself through resilient expansion and a commitment to excellence. Under the visionary guidance of Mr. Naveen Jindal, JSP has emerged as a leader in India’s steel, mining, power, and infrastructure sectors, boasting an impressive global presence across India, Africa, and Australia. However, with rapid growth comes the challenge of maintaining a cohesive organizational culture. This is where Great Place To Work® India stepped in, embarking on a transformative journey with JSP to create and sustain a high-trust, high-performance culture.
The Challenge: Aligning Culture with Expansion
As JSP expanded its market footprint, especially focusing on export markets like China and the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company faced significant challenges. The organization could foresee that issues like long working hours could lead to employee burnout, which highlighted the need for a cultural rejuvenation to sustain performance and achieve long-term goals. The leadership recognized that to continue thriving, there was a pressing need to align their organizational culture with their rapid business growth.
The Solution: Enhancing Employee Experience - JSP’s Collaboration with Great Place To Work
JSP partnered with Great Place To Work to implement the Great Place To Work Architect Programme, which is designed to empower participants to design and implement people practices that align with business goals. This collaborative initiative began with a comprehensive assessment of JSP’s existing people practices and employee experiences through the Great Place To Work People Practice Framework and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs).
JSP’s Collaborative Approach: "By Jindalites, For Jindalites”
The Architect Programme was a truly democratic approach, engaging JSP employees from across various locations and functions. Participants, known as Culture Architects, were nominated to lead the implementation of cultural changes, ensuring the new practices were deeply rooted in the real needs and experiences of the employees. This "By Jindalites, For Jindalites’’ approach fostered a sense of ownership and demonstrated the power of collaboration in driving lasting and employee-driven change.
Creating a One JSP Culture
One of the significant achievements of the Architect Programme was the creation of a unified One JSP culture. Despite JSP’s widespread operations, the programme fostered a cohesive and inclusive environment where all employees felt connected and valued. The "Dil Se - Straight from the Heart" initiative played a crucial role in this transformation, launching a series of targeted interventions to address specific needs identified through employee feedback.
Key Phases of the Transformation
Outcomes and Impact
The collaborative programme has delivered several noteworthy outcomes.
- 8,500+ Thank You Notes shared to publicly acknowledge colleagues’ contributions.
- 1300+ ideas generated through the Mera Sujhaav initiative to drive process improvement through employee contributions.
- 760+ ideas received from contractual workers (called as Business Associates at JSP) through Khul Ke Bol were implemented.
Here are some examples of how Khul Ke Bol and Mera Sujhaav initiatives led to business impact (at location or unit level) within the first two years of the implementation:
- 50% reduction in water consumption through the implementation of automatic and in-house washing mechanisms.
- 3X savings of manpower days through site-wise training programs and awareness campaigns conducted as productivity improvement initiatives.
- 3.5X savings on annual expenditure on operational and maintenance costs by adopting new ideas
Conclusion
JSP’s journey with Great Place To Work demonstrates the power of collaborative innovation in creating and sustaining a high-trust, high-performance culture. By aligning people practices with business goals and continuously refining their approach based on employee feedback, JSP not only enhanced its workplace environment but also achieved substantial business growth and cultural excellence. This case study underscores the importance of fostering an inclusive, supportive, and high-performing workplace culture in driving organizational success.
Authors:
Anuja Hiwale and Snehal Dalvi
Mentor:
Anita Borate
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